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Our goal
Our goal
At AD Biorefine, it is our mission to further Ireland’s transition to a circular bioeconomy by providing innovative and practical solutions to help facilities optimise their anaerobic digestion processes.
Together, this will help Ireland reduce its greenhouse gas emissions, mitigate food waste, and strengthen its renewable energy independence, bringing Ireland closer to reaching its UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Who we are
Who we are
AD Biorefine is a multidisciplinary team with extensive experience and knowledge in anaerobic digestion, microbiology, agriculture, environmental management, circular economy and sustainability.
We are involved in projects across Ireland and Europe transforming food waste and organic residues into high quality renewable biomethane and nutrient-rich digestate fertiliser, including leading the redevelopment of Ireland's largest AD plant from a defunct project into Ireland's largest biomethane facility.
Stephen Nolan is our primary consultant and possesses a strong background in microbiology, having undertaken his PhD in Environmental Microbiology with a focus on anaerobic digestion optimisation at the University of Galway. Prior to this, Stephen obtained an MSc in Renewable Energy Systems from Dundalk Institute of Technology as well as a BSc in Agricultural Science from University College Dublin.
Stephen’s professional experience is extensive – prior to establishing AD Biorefine, Stephen served as plant manager for Ireland's first biomethane to grid facility and as Field Trials Lead for Glasport Bio where he oversaw large-scale field studies for slurry additive and ruminant feed additive programmes. Stephen has also previously worked with Teagasc as a Rural Development Knowledge Transfer Coordinator.
Stephen's team also includes members who are highly qualified in the following areas:
Research and development centering on the environment with a focus on dairy farming
Research and development into the bioplastics industry
Business leadership, particularly for SMEs
Data processing, analysis and visualisation for interpretation
Microbiology of anaerobic systems.
Peer reviewed publications from the team
Peer reviewed publications from the team
Development and in-vitro assessment of novel oxygen-releasing feed additives to reduce enteric ruminant methane emissions.
A Graham, C Thorn, M McDonagh, C O'Donnell, S Nolan, SF Kirwan, S O'Connor, CO Nzeteu, ACV Montoya…
Science of The Total Environment 963, 177598, 2025.
Available at: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.177598
Coupling Biogas Upgradation and Dairy Wastewater Treatment for Simultaneous Carbon Capture and Bioelectricity Generation Using an Algae-Assisted Microbial Fuel Cell
A Khandelwal, J Swaminathan, S Nolan, PNL Lens
ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering 12 (38), 14265-14275, 2024
Available at; https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acssuschemeng.4c04954
Scale-up of a peroxide-based pig slurry additive for gaseous emission reduction and downstream value retention
S Nolan, D Hughes, CE Thorn, R Friel, V O'Flaherty
Cleaner Environmental Systems 12, 100157, 2024
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266678942300051X
Simultaneous removal of H2S and NH3 from raw biogas in hollow fibre membrane bioreactors
J Das, S Nolan, PNL Lens
Environmental Technology & Innovation 28, 102777, 2022
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352186422002620
Novel slurry additive reduces gaseous emissions during storage thereby improving renewable energy and fertiliser potential
CE Thorn, S Nolan, CS Lee, R Friel, V O'Flaherty
Journal of Cleaner Production 358, 132004, 2022
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0959652622016122
Metagenomic and HT-qPCR analysis reveal the microbiome and resistome in pig slurry under storage, composting, and anaerobic digestion
TT Do, S Nolan, N Hayes, V O'Flaherty, C Burgess, F Brennan, F Walsh
Environmental Pollution 305, 119271, 2022
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0269749122004857
The Survival of Salmonella Senftenberg, Escherichia coli O157: H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Enterococcus faecalis and Clostridium sporogenes in Sandy and Clay Loam Textured Soils When Applied in Bovine Slurry or Unpasteurised Digestate and the Run-Off Rate for a Test Bacterium, Listeria innocua, When Applied to Grass in Slurry and Digestate
L Russell, P Whyte, A Zintl, SV Gordon, B Markey, T de Waal, S Nolan, V O'Flaherty, F Abram, K Richards…
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 6, 806920, 2022
Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2022.806920/pdf
Data based slurry treatment decision tree to minimise antibiotic resistance and pathogen transfer while maximising nutrient recycling
TT Do, S Nolan, N Hayes, V O'Flaherty, C Burgess, F Brennan, F Walsh
bioRxiv, 2022.02. 25.481976, 2022
Available at: https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2022.02.25.481976.full
Quantitative microbial risk assessment associated with ready-to-eat salads following the application of farmyard manure and slurry or anaerobic digestate to arable lands
R Nag, L Russell, S Nolan, A Auer, BK Markey, P Whyte, V O'Flaherty, D Bolton, O Fenton, KG Richards…
Science of The Total Environment 806, 151227, 2022
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0048969721063051
Evaluation of pathogen concentration in anaerobic digestate using a predictive modelling approach (ADRISK)
R Nag, A Auer, S Nolan, L Russell, BK Markey, P Whyte, V O'Flaherty, D Bolton, O Fenton, KG Richards…
Science of the Total Environment 800, 149574, 2021
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0048969721046490
Quantitative microbial human exposure model for faecal indicator bacteria and risk assessment of pathogenic Escherichia coli in surface runoff following application of dairy cattle slurry and co-digestate to grassland
R Nag, S Nolan, V O'Flaherty, O Fenton, KG Richards, BK Markey, P Whyte, D Bolton, E Cummins
Journal of Environmental Management 299, 113627, 2021
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479721016893
Landspreading with co-digested cattle slurry, with or without pasteurisation, as a mitigation strategy against pathogen, nutrient and metal contamination associated with untreated slurry
S Nolan, CE Thorn, SM Ashekuzzaman, I Kavanagh, R Nag, D Bolton, E Cummins, V O'Flaherty, F Abram…
Science of The Total Environment 744, 140841, 2020
A small study of bacterial contamination of anaerobic digestion materials and survival in different feed stocks
L Russell, P Whyte, A Zintl, S Gordon, B Markey, T de Waal, E Cummins, S Nolan, V O'Flaherty, F Abram…
Bioengineering 7 (3), 116, 2020
Available at: https://www.mdpi.com/2306-5354/7/3/116
Anaerobic digestion of agricultural manure and biomass–critical indicators of risk and knowledge gaps
R Nag, A Auer, BK Markey, P Whyte, S Nolan, V O'Flaherty, L Russell, D Bolton, O Fenton, K Richards…
Science of the Total Environment 690, 460-479, 2019
Available at: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/am/pii/S0048969719330840
Toward assessing farm-based anaerobic digestate public health risks: comparative investigation with slurry, effect of pasteurization treatments, and use of miniature bioreactors as proxies for pathogen spiking trials
S Nolan, NR Waters, F Brennan, A Auer, O Fenton, K Richards, DJ Bolton, L Pritchard, V O'Flaherty, F Abram
Frontiers in Sustainable Food Systems 2, 41, 2018
Available at: https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sustainable-food-systems/articles/10.3389/fsufs.2018.00041/pdf
Agricultural anaerobic digestion power plants in Ireland and Germany: policy and practice
A Auer, NH Vande Burgt, F Abram, G Barry, O Fenton, BK Markey, S Nolan, K Richards, D Bolton, T De Waal…
Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture 97 (3), 719-723, 2017
Available at: https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/bitstreams/2f6a9373-bb57-47bb-9625-1419f8ebff20/download
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